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• If you were to die this very instant, do you know without a doubt that you would immediately be in heaven?
• If you were to die and stand before God, and if God were to ask you "Why should I let you into heaven?", what would your response be?

Let's face it, nobody likes to think about death and dying. Yet, it is the one thing that all humanity has in common. Death comes to people of all nationalities, ethnic origins, men and women, young and old, rich and poor. We will all face death some day. Some will face it sooner than they realize. I can say with certainty that the passengers aboard American Airlines flight 11 or United Airlines flight 175 the morning of September 11, 2001 did not board those planes with the thought that they would die before the morning was over.

So, how would you answer the two questions above? If you're not sure, I have some good news for you.

1. Heaven is an absolutely free gift. It is deserved by no one, and it cannot be earned. In the Bible, it says that "the gift of God is eternal life..." When you give someone a gift, do you expect them to open their wallet or purse and hand you some money. Of course not! If they did that, then it would no longer be a gift, would it? In the same way, God has given the "gift" of eternal life, that cannot be purchased by trying to "be a good person" or by "being religious". In fact, the Bible says that we are "saved by grace through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." God had to make heaven free. There is no way man could ever earn the right to be there, because...

2. Man is a sinner, and he cannot save himself. The Bible teaches that all of us are sinners. It says "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." To sin means that we fail to live up to God's standard of holiness: absolute perfection. Jesus tells us that we need to "be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." That's a tough standard to live up to. In fact, for humans, it's simply impossible; we'll never be perfect. You might be saying to yourself "I'm a pretty good person, I've lived a good, wholesome life, I go to chuch, I help the needy" and so on. But being "good" is simply not good enough. The Bible tells us "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." If you have broken even one of God's laws, you have broken them all. Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever been angry with somebody? Have you ever had an impure thought? Then you have sinned, and are disqualified from getting into heaven on your own merit. But, in spite of our sins...

3. God loves us. God tells us "I have loved you with an everlasting love." God loves us, not because of who we are, but because of what He is. The Bible tells us "God is love." It is his nature to love us, whom He created. But it is also God's nature to administer perfect justice, because God is a just God. The Bible tells us that God "will by no means clear the guilty."

This idea can be illustrated with a story describing me as a young, inexperienced bank robber. I am robbing the bank so I can feed my wife and children, because I have been without a paycheck for many weeks. But, being an inexperienced bank robber, I take no precautions to conceal myself from the cameras, and during my court trial the teller and other witnesses identify me as the robber. When the judge asks me how I plead, I must say "guilty." But I continue, saying to the judge, "Your honor. I admit that this was a stupid thing to do. But I was desperate and at my wits end; I needed to feed my family. Nobody got hurt during the robbery, and the bank got all their money back. Please let me go this time and I promise to never again rob a bank." The judge may have sympathy for me, but if he is a just judge, he must find me guilty and impose on me the appropriate punishment. Even if the judge were my very father, and loved me as much as one can love another, if he were a just judge, he must punish the crime. That is how God is: He loves us, but because of our sin, He must punish us. This was a dilemma for God, that was solved through Jesus Christ.

4. Jesus: who He is and what He did. Ask any 'man on the street' the question "Who is Jesus?" and you are likely to get one of these answers: (1) The Son of God, (2) A good man, (3) A prophet. But the Bible tells us that Jesus is much more than any of these. He is, in fact, God himself in human form, the creator of all things that exist. He himself claimed many times to be God, and substantiated those claims by performing miracles, such as giving sight to the blind, raising the dead back to life, and giving hearing to the deaf. The Bible says, "In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." God himself left heaven and became a man. He lived a perfect, sinless life, and willingly died on a cross, taking the punishment for all mankind. He, being sinless, took our sin upon himself, because of His love for us. The Bible says "The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Just before His death, Jesus uttered the word Tetelestai, which means "paid in full." There is nothing more needed to save us. After His death, He rose from the dead (which, by the way He accurately predicted beforehand), and after being seen by over 500 eyewitnesses, He returned to heaven where He has prepared a place for us and offers to us as a free gift. How does one go about receiving this gift?

5. By faith. Faith is the key that unlocks the door to heaven. Faith is not simply acknowledging Jesus as God, because the Bible tells us that "the demons also believe, and tremble." Nor is faith calling upon God for those little ups and downs that we all go through, but then forgetting about Him when the need has passed. Faith is an action word, that means placing your complete trust in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. The Bible tells us "believe (trust) on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." You must transfer your trust from your attempt to be good enough to earn God's favor, to placing your trust in Jesus alone, for He alone can pay the penalty for our sins.

What is stopping you from receiving the gift of eternal life in Jesus right now? God is reaching out to every man, woman, and child. He loves you and wants more than anything for you to spend eternity with Him. The Bible tells us that God "is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." If you want to have your sins forgiven, and know for certain that when you die you will be in the presence of God in heaven, then in the quiet of your heart, say this prayer to God:

Dear Jesus, I admit that I have sinned against you. I ask you to forgive me of my sins, and make a new person. Cleanse me and make me holy. Thank you for dying for me on the cross. I receive you now as my Lord and Savior. Help me to turn away from sin and live each day for you. I thank you for the free gift of eternal life. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer and you were sincere, welcome to the family of God! You are now a child of God. Angels in heaven are celebrating. You have just experienced spiritual birth, an idea the Bible refers to as being "born again." And, just as new babies need nurishment for growth, spiritual newborns also need nurishment for growth. Spiritual nutrition has five main ingredients:

• The Bible. The Bible is God's word to us. It is one way He speaks to us. Purchase a translation of the Bible you feel comfortable reading, and read at least some of the Bible every day.
• Prayer. Prayer is our way of communicating to God our love, our fears, our concerns, our needs. In prayer, God allows us to speak to Him personally. What an awesome privilege. Speak to God every day, just like you would speak to another person.
• Fellowship. Find a church in your community that actively teaches the Bible. God has placed within the church (the group of all believers worldwide) gifted teachers to help us understand His word. The church is also a place where you can get spiritual support from other believers, and where you can actively serve God.
• Witness. This means telling others what God has done for you, and giving others the opportunity to receive forgiveness for their sins and to accept the free gift of salvation.

We want to know if you prayed the prayer and accepted Jesus Christ as your savior. Please write to us or drop an email. God bless you as you begin your new life.